CONVERSANT WORKS FOR PATENT TRANSPARENCY

Conversant is pleased to be one of a group of leaders in intellectual property and open data that have contributed to the newly launched ORoPO (www.oropo.net), the world’s first Open Register of Patent Ownership. ORoPO aims to provide an open data register of patents, accessible to all at no cost. Voluntary, non-profit-making, and freely accessible […]

Is Conversant being unrealistic?

This recent article, in which former U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Chief Judge Paul Michel calls licensing best practices “just not very realistic”, caught our eye. Conversant was the first company to publish a set of Patent Licensing Principles back in November 2013. We have received a lot of support for our […]

Intellectual Property and the Chinese Market

China is enjoying a meteoric rise in the international IP marketplace, increasingly taking centre stage as the balance of global economic power shifts eastwards. Astute businesses operating in China recognize that they need strong patent portfolios if they are to continue to grow at their current rate. Ensuring that they have the necessary expertise to […]

David Kappos’ fact-based argument against legislative patent reform: music to my ears

David Kappos recently made a no-holds-barred speech at the LeadershIP conference in Washington DC. His clear and well-supported rationale is a breath of fresh air and a valuable compilation of facts that should serve as a wake up call for Congress and the Senate. If you haven’t had a chance to read the full speech, […]

The business of responsible licensing – highlights from NPE 2015

IAM Magazine hosted a successful NPE 2015 conference in New York last week, with over 200 industry delegates taking part. This conference, the industry’s first to focus specifically on the NPE community and our important role in the business of patent licensing, was an inspiring forum where we discussed the most pressing issues and explored […]

Conversant highlighted in report that asserts high-quality NPE-owned patents a key feature of the semiconductor industry

A new report by technology consulting firm iRunway looks at the semiconductor largest patent holders, the growing presence of NPEs and the increase in patent litigation over the last 20 years. The report also looked at the owners of the highest quality semiconductor memory patents, which it describes as seminal. Among NPEs, Conversant has a […]

2015: The Year of Two-Way Patent Licensing

I read with pleasure the recent feature on IAM Magazine’s blog, calling out a unique and emerging character on the patent licensing stage – the Patent Ogre. This is defined as a large product company who is wilfully and systematically infringing on the rights of small patent owners. The patent ogre is a character in […]

Vringo tries a novel strategy against ZTE

U.S. military doctrine requires the country to be ready to wage war in two theatres simulataneously.1 Patent assertion entity (PAE) Vringo has decided to go to the next level, and fight Chinese cellular equipment maker ZTE on ten fronts. Using standards-essential patents it acquired from Nokia, Vringo sued ZTE in the United Kingdom (October 2012), […]

NPEs in 2015

I read with interest a recent IAM Magazine blog post which, heading into the final quarter of 2014, makes eight predictions for the NPE market in 2015. North American editor Richard Lloyd identifies these key issues: 1. Consolidation among NPEs – there has been remarkably little M&A activity but deals could now happen, possibly in […]

Patent Troll? Or Formerly Manufacturing Entity?

Some time ago, I had a lively conversation with Kristen Osenga, a professor of law at the University of Richmond School of Law, Virginia. As part of Prof. Osenga’s research for a forthcoming paper, we discussed Conversant’s business model and where we fit within the broad landscape of companies who engage in patent licensing. Prof. […]